Clever, quick, consistent: Why NorthEast GK Rehenesh could be India's future No 1

Nobody had heard of TP Rehenesh. Nobody would have either. When a team has Alexandros Tzorvas — who kept for Greece at World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012 in Brazil — you don’t expect a 21-year-old Indian to be given the nod in a tournament flush with bigger names. But Rehenesh is lucky to be in a team which believes in developing Indian talent as much as winning games in the Indian Super League. Former New Zealand manager Ricki Herbert stuck with the Keralite despite seeing him commit errors in his first appearance for NorthEast United — and he played him against a side which was fresh from scoring five goals in their previous match. NorthEast won that game (vs Mumbai City FC) and Rehenesh has since been their standout performer, letting in just four goals in six matches and keeping three cleansheets. According to the ISL website, he has saved 17 of 21 shots faced. [caption id=“attachment_1808909” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Rehenesh may not know it yet — he may not even admit it — but his metamorphosis from unknown to India’s future No 1 may have already begun. ISL[/caption] Rehenesh may not know it yet — he may not even admit it — but his metamorphosis from unknown to India’s future No 1 may have already begun. “I’m not thinking about the No 1 jersey. My job is to not concede and that’s what I’m trying to do. Even if I’m in the India team that will be a big thing. It could be as No 1, No 2 or No 3,” he told Firstpost. His English is broken, his Hindi not so great — but the demand from the media to speak with him has been high — and while he takes time to warm up, the answers start rolling much easily after the first few questions. Rehenesh has no self pity about playing in a position which hardly creates heroes. His belief is that football is about goals and goalscorers, not about goalkeepers. He doesn’t care about the laurels that strikers get — his game starts and ends with the mission of not having to pick the ball out of his own net. “Everyone sees who scores first, then whether the goalkeeper could help the team keep that lead. When you concede, it’s bad. Simple.” But what strikes one most about Rehenesh is that he’s a thinking goalkeeper. At 5’8”, he’s not too tall, and relies on being in the right place at the right time more than physically dominating his area. “For me, it’s about positioning. I don’t rely on my size. I believe that it’s the job of outfield players to play a physical game. Goalkeepers have to play a mental game.” But does that mean he doesn’t like the physical side of the game? “Of course not. I disagree that goalkeepers don’t need to do as much physical work. I had a coach who told me once — the amount of effort that goes in an outfield player’s run, the same amount goes into a dive.” Rehenesh is also quick off his line on many occasions. He says there’s a thin line between deciding when to come off it and when to stay on the spot. “I just look at the ball in a one-on-one situation. I don’t look at the man. As soon as the ball is out of his control for a split second, I attack it. You just have to wait for that moment,” said Rehenesh, who captained Sports Authority of India’s team in the Subroto Cup in 2006 (playing as centre-back). He hasn’t faced one yet, but Rehenesh is also ready with a strategy for penalties: “I look at the foot and calculate where the ball is going to end up. Penalties are a matter of half luck and half talent.” Rehenesh’ favourite goalkeeper is Iker Casillas — who he backs to get over his lean patch — and just like Saint Iker, he seems like a clever goalie. His basics are strong and he has played an outfield position too — so there’s no issue about having slippery feet when he’s played the ball. Tzorvas has been teaching him a lot of stuff. In training, it’s almost as if the Greek is coaching NorthEast’s goalkeepers. On the eve of NorthEast’s loss against Pune, Tzorvas taught a few new drills — he tossed the ball up, asked Rehenesh to do a quick somersault and catch the ball before it landed on the pitch. Rehenesh managed to do it first time — receiving a huge high-five from Tzorvas. Herbert has to be credited with keeping his team well-knit — and Rehenesh is thriving in the feel good atmosphere of the team. It’s no surprise then that Herbert has stuck to his Indian goalkeeper. He’s clever, he’s quick, he’s confident — and he’s fiercely protective about his breed. When asked why almost all goalkeepers cheat when they come off the line during penalties, he says “you have to do anything to save it.” Rehenesh has been nothing short of a revelation so far. The ISL has promised to unearth Indian talent — and when questions will be asked whether the tournament managed to do so — Rehenesh will be one of the answers. The writer tweets @TheFalseNo9